Hanger for mounting cables

ABSTRACT

A cable hanger includes: a generally flat base; and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms; wherein each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section; wherein the arms form a gap configured to receive and grasp a cable; and wherein the cable hanger is a unitary member formed of a polymeric material.

The present application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/375,213, filed Aug. 15, 2016;62/444,409, filed Jan. 10, 2017; and 62/483,997, filed Apr. 11, 2017,the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to devices for supporting cablesand, in particular, to hangers for securing cables to supportstructures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cable hangers are commonly used to secure cables to structural membersof antenna towers and or along tunnel walls. Generally, each cable isattached to a structural member by cable hangers mounted atperiodically-spaced attachment points.

Antenna towers and or tunnels may be crowded due to the large numbers ofcables required for signal-carrying. Over time, as systems are added,upgraded and/or expanded, installation of additional cables may berequired. To conserve space, it may be desirable for each set of cablehangers to secure more than a single cable. Certain cable hangers havebeen constructed to secure multiple cables; other cable hangers have astackable construction that permits multiple cable hangers to beinterlocked extending outwardly from each mounting point/structuralmember. Stacked and multiple-cable hangers significantly increase thenumber of cables mountable to a single attachment point.

One popular stackable cable hanger is discussed in U.S. Pat. No.8,191,836 to Korczak, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein in its entirety. Hangers disclosed therein have generally a U- orC-shaped profile with rounded arms. A locking projection extends fromthe free end of each arm, and the “root” of the hanger that spans thefixed ends of the arms has a large aperture. The hanger can hold a cablebetween the arms; gripping of the cable is enhanced by short fingersthat extend inwardly from the arms to engage the cable. Hangers can be“stacked” onto each other by inserting the locking projections of onehanger into the large aperture of the next hanger.

One variety of cable hanger of this type is the SNAP-STAK® hanger,available from CommScope, Inc. (Joliet, Ill.). The SNAP-STAK® hanger isoffered in multiple sizes that correspond to the outer diameters ofdifferent cables. This arrangement has been suitable for use withcoaxial power cables, which tend to be manufactured in only a fewdifferent outer diameters. Modified versions of these hangers arediscussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/081,177, filed Mar. 25,2016 (and hereby incorporated herein by reference); these arrangementsmay be more desirable for fiber optic cables, which tend to bemanufactured in a much greater variety of diameters, and which tend tobe much heavier than coaxial cables (sometimes as much as three timesheavier per unit foot), which induces greater load and stress on thehangers.

It may be desirable to provide additional cable hanger designs,particularly for different cable sizes.

SUMMARY

As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cablehanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposedarms extending in a first direction from the base. Hooks are positionedon free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the arms has anarcuate cross-section. The arms form a gap configured to receive andgrasp a cable. The cable hanger is a unitary member formed of apolymeric material.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cablehanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposedarms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks arepositioned on free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the armshas an arcuate cross-section. The base includes two arcuate slots, eachof the slots adjacent a fixed end of a respective first or second arm.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cablehanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposedarms extending in a first direction from the base, wherein hooks arepositioned on free ends of the arms. Stops are located on each of thefirst and second arms and extend generally perpendicularly to the arms,and a brace extends between the base and each of the stops. The cablehanger is a unitary component formed of a polymeric material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art cable hanger.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the prior art cable hanger of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a cable hanger according to embodiments of theinvention mounted onto a prior art cable as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a cable hanger according to alternativeembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 5 holding a cable.

FIG. 7 is an end view of a cable hanger according to additionalembodiments of the invention, wherein the cable hanger is holding acable.

FIG. 8 is a partial top view of the cable hanger of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial top view of a cable hanger according to embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a cable hanger according to additionalembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top section view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an opposite end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10 shown in an openhinged position.

FIGS. 15A-15C are top views showing the clamping and mounting of a cablewith the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to additionalembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to furtherembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a side section view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to furtherembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 23 is an opposite perspective view of the cable hanger of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. Thisinvention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments that are pictured anddescribed herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey thescope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also beappreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in anyway and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms that areused in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood byone of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Theterminology used in the below description is for the purpose ofdescribing particular embodiments only and is not intended to belimiting of the invention. As used in this disclosure, the singularforms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms aswell, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also beunderstood that when an element (e.g., a device, circuit, etc.) isreferred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it canbe directly connected or coupled to the other element or interveningelements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to asbeing “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element,there are no intervening elements present.

Referring now to the figures, a prior art cable hanger, designatedbroadly at 10, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hanger 10 includes curvedarms 5 that extend from a flat base 6. Locking projections 7 extend fromthe free ends of the arms 5. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, thelocking projections 7 are inserted into a reinforced hole 8 in a towerstructure 4 to mount the hanger 10 thereon. The base 6 of the hanger 10includes a reinforced hole 9 that can receive the projections of anotherhanger 10 to mount a second cable.

As can be best seen in FIG. 2, the arms 5 include arcuate sections 14that together generally define a circle within which a cable can begrasped. Two cantilevered tabs 12 extend radially inwardly and towardthe base 6 at one end of the arcuate sections 14, and two cantileveredtabs 16 extend radially inwardly and toward the base 6 from the oppositeends of the arcuate sections 14. The cantilevered tabs 12, 16 aredeployed to deflect radially outwardly when the hanger 10 receives acable for mounting; this deflection generates a radially inward forcefrom each tab 12, 16 that grips the jacket of the cable.

The hanger 10 is popular for the mounting of larger coaxial cables, thattend to be provided in relatively few different sizes, but may be lesspopular for smaller cables. FIGS. 3 and 4 are illustrate a cable hanger,designated broadly at 110, that may be employed with hangers 10 or bythemselves to mount smaller cables. As illustrated, the cable hanger 110includes a base 106 with two opposed arms 105 extending from the base106. Each of the arms 105 is arcuate in profile (best seen as arms 205with respect to cable hanger 210 in FIG. 6). A hook 107 is located atthe free end of each arm 105. Each arm 105 also has aradially-outwardly-extending stop 118. A gap 120 is present between thearms 105. Arcuate slots 122 are present in the base adjacent andradially outwardly of the fixed ends of the arms 105.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cable hanger 110 can be used to mount acable to a cable hanger 10. A cable 130 is positioned in the gap 120between the arms 105. The cable hanger 110 is then mounted in the hole 9of the cable hanger 10 by aligning the arms 105 with the hole 9 andpushing the base 106 toward the cable hanger 10 (not unlike the motionused to insert a thumbtack). This motion deflects the free ends of thearms 105 toward each other to enable the hooks 107 to fit within thehole 9. The cable hanger 110 is pushed in the direction of the cablehanger 10 until the hooks 107 clear the edges of the hole 9, at whichpoint the arms 105 deflect away from each other to secure the cablehanger 110 to the cable hanger 10. The inner edges of the arms 105 gripthe cable 130.

As shown in FIG. 3, a second cable hanger 110′ can be employed to mounta cable to the cable hanger 110. The hooks 107′ of the arms 105′ of thesecond cable hanger 110′ are inserted into the slots 122 in the base 106of the first cable hanger 110. Additional cable hangers can then be“stacked” onto the second cable hanger 110′.

It should also be apparent to those of skill in this art that the cablehanger 110 can be used to mount a cable directly to a mounting structuresuch as the tower 4 without an intervening cable hanger 10.

Other embodiments or cable hangers may include structures to enhanceinsertion and grasping of a cable. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a cablehanger 210 is similar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception thatthe gap 220 between the arms 205 is wider near the free ends of the arms205 than at their fixed ends. As a result, a cable 230 can be insertedeasily into the wider end 220 a of the gap 220, but is grasped morefirmly at the narrow end 220 b of the gap 220.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, another embodiment of a cable hanger,designated broadly at 310, is shown therein. The cable hanger 310 issimilar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception that two ridges ortabs 324 extend away from the base 306 on opposite sides thereof. Thegaps 326 between the ridges 324 are offset slightly from the gap 320formed by the arms 305. As a result, the cable 330 inserted into thegaps 320, 326 takes a slight diversion from a straight path, whichimproves the overall grip of the cable 330 by the cable hanger 310. Asfew as one ridge 324 may be sufficient to bend the cable 330sufficiently to improve the grip.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a portion of another embodiment of a cablehanger, designated broadly at 410, is shown therein. The cable hanger410 is similar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception that the arms405 include bent cantilevered tabs 432 that extend into the gap 420. Thetabs 432 can deflect relative to and toward the arms 405, which canenable the cable hanger 410 to accommodate a wider variety of cablethicknesses.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that cable hangers accordingto embodiments of the invention may combine the above-mentioned featuresto improve cable grip. For example, a cable hanger may have both ridgesas in cable hanger 310 and cantilevered tabs as in cable hanger 410.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the cable hangers 110,210, 310, 410 discussed above are typically formed of a polymericmaterial, such as acetal resin, and may be formed as a unitary member(often via injection molding). The cable hangers may also be configuredto grasp different sizes of cables: for example, one size of hanger maybe employed to mount cables having an outer jacket with a 4-7 mmdiameter (DOJ), another size of hanger may mount 7-10 mm DOJ cables, anda third size of hanger may mount 10-14 mm DOJ cables.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-13, another cable hanger, designated broadlyat 510, is shown therein. The cable hanger 510 shares similarities withthe cable hangers 110, 210, but has some exceptions. First, the gap 520is divided by projections 520 b into a closed-end pocket 520 a and anopen-ended channel 520 c. Second, the base 506 is divided into twohalves 506 a, 506 b that are attached via a living hinge 506 c that hasa pivot axis A. Third, rather than slots similar to slots 122 of thecable hanger 110, the base 506 has a central hole 506 d configured toreceive the locking projections 507 of a second cable hanger.

As can be seen in FIG. 14, the halves 506 a, 506 b of the base 506 ofthe cable hanger 510 can pivot about the pivot axis A defined by theliving hinge 506 c. The presence of the living hinge 506 c enables thecable hanger 510 to include the projections 520 b in the gap 520 and beinjected molded in a relatively straightforward manner; thereciprocating halves of the mold can be drawn in the directions M, M′shown in FIG. 14 and form the cable hanger 510 without the need for any“side-action” slides or the like in the mold.

Referring now to FIGS. 15A-15C, use of the cable hanger 510 is showntherein. The cable hanger 510 can be “opened” so that the lockingprojections 507 are separated. A cable 530 can be inserted into the gap520. The halves 560 a, 506 b of the cable hanger 510 can be pivotedabout the axis A to close the halves 506 a, 506 b and capture the cable530 in the pocket 520 a. The cable hanger 510 and cable 530 can then bemounted onto a mounting structure, cable hanger or adapter as discussedabove.

The cable hanger 510 may be suitable for the mounting of a cable of anysize. In some embodiments, the cable hanger 510 may be sized to mountcables having a diameter of between about 7 and 10 mm.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, another cable hanger according toembodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 610, is showntherein. The cable hanger 610 is similar to the cable hanger 110described above in that it includes a base 606 and arms 605 with hooks607 and stops 618. The cable hanger 610 also includes a pocket 620 a tohold a cable similar to the pocket 520 a of cable hanger 510. However,the cable hanger 610 also includes braces 640 that extend between thebase 606 and the stops 618 on the arms 605. The braces 640 can providestrength and rigidity to the cable hanger 610 to enable it to remain inposition once it has been mounted to capture a cable. In addition, thebraces 640 can help the cable hanger 610 to maintain its shape in theevent that the cable hanger 610 is formed of a polymeric material (forexample, via injection molding). Polymeric components tend to shrink asthey cool after molding, which in some instances can cause the componentto deform undesirably from its molded shape. The braces 640 can assistin preventing deformation due to shrinkage of the cable hanger 610 as itcools after molding.

Referring now to FIGS. 18-21, another cable hanger according toembodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 710, is showntherein. The cable hanger 710 is similar to the cable hanger 610 in thatit that it includes a base 706 and arms 705 with hooks 707 and stops718. The cable hanger 710 also includes a pocket 720 a to hold a cablesimilar to the pocket 620 a of cable hanger 610. The base 706 includestwo arcuate holes 709 a, 709 b that are configured to receive the hooks707 of a second cable hanger 710.

The cable hanger 710 also includes a small post 730 that extends fromthe closed end of the pocket 720 a generally parallel to the arms 705.The post 730 serves to improve the grip of the cable hanger 710 oncables that have a diameter smaller than that of the pocket 720 a. Forsuch cables, the post 730 pokes into the jacket of the cable, therebypushing it into the projections 720 b that narrow the open end of thepocket 720 a. The post 730 is typically sufficiently slender that, inthe event a cable having a diameter slightly less than or equal to thepocket 720 a, the post either fractures or bends out of the way.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-24, another cable hanger according toembodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 810, is showntherein. The cable hanger 810 is similar to the cable hanger 610described above in that it includes a base 806 and arms 805 with hooks807 and stops 818. The cable hanger 810 also includes a pocket 820 a tohold a cable similar to the pocket 620 a of cable hanger 610. The cablehanger 810 also includes braces 840 that extend between the base 806 andthe stops 818 on the arms 805. The braces 840 are positioned radiallyoutwardly sufficiently to enable the hooks 807 of a second cable hanger810 to comfortably engage the underside of the base 806. Also, the cablehanger 810 includes a cross-beam 808 that extends across the base 806 toform two holes 809 a, 809 b in the base 806. These holes 809 a, 809 breceive the hooks 807 of a second cable hanger 810.

The cable hanger 810 also includes three posts 830 a, 830 b, 830 csimilar to the post 730 of the cable hanger 710. The posts 830 a, 830 care located on opposite sides of the pocket 820 a and extend generallytoward each other, and the post 830 b extends generally parallel to thearms 805 similar to the post 730 of the cable hanger 710.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of thisinvention have been described, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined inthe claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, withequivalents of the claims to be included therein.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A cable hanger, comprising: a generallyflat base; and first and second opposed arms extending in a firstdirection from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends ofthe arms; wherein each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuatecross-section; wherein the arms form a gap configured to receive andgrasp a cable; and wherein the cable hanger is a unitary member formedof a polymeric material.
 2. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, whereinthe base includes two arcuate slots configured to receive hooks from asecond cable hanger.
 3. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein thegap is wider adjacent the free ends of the arms than at fixed ends ofthe arms.
 4. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein at least oneof the arms includes a cantilevered tab that extends at least partiallytoward the other arm, the tab being configured to deflect and grasp acable positioned within the gap.
 5. The cable hanger defined in claim 1,further comprising at least one ridge projecting from the base, theridge positioned to slightly bend a cable inserted into the gap toimprove gripping of the cable by the hanger.
 6. The cable hanger definedin claim 5, wherein the at least one ridge is a pair of ridges thatdefine a gap, and wherein the gap defined by the ridges is axiallyoffset from the gap between the arms.
 7. The cable hanger defined inclaim 1, wherein the first and second arms and hooks are configured tobe inserted into a nominal ¾ inch hole.
 8. The cable hanger defined inclaim 1, in combination with a cable grasped by the first and secondarms.
 9. A cable hanger, comprising: a generally flat base; and firstand second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base;wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms; wherein each ofthe free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section; and wherein thebase includes two arcuate slots, each of the slots adjacent a fixed endof a respective first or second arm.
 10. The cable hanger defined inclaim 9, wherein the gap is wider adjacent the free ends of the armsthan at fixed ends of the arms.
 11. The cable hanger defined in claim 9,wherein at least one of the arms includes a cantilevered tab thatextends at least partially toward the other arm, the tab beingconfigured to deflect and grasp a cable positioned within the gap. 12.The cable hanger defined in claim 9, further comprising at least oneridge projecting from the base, the ridge positioned to slightly bend acable inserted into the gap to improve gripping of the cable by thehanger.
 13. The cable hanger defined in claim 12, wherein the at leastone ridge is a pair of ridges that define a gap, and wherein the gapdefined by the ridges is axially offset from the gap between the arms.14. The cable hanger defined in claim 9, wherein the first and secondarms and hooks are configured to be inserted into a nominal ¾ inch hole.15. The cable hanger defined in claim 9, in combination with a cablegrasped by the first and second arms.
 16. The cable hanger defined inclaim 9 in combination with a second cable hanger as defined in claim 9,wherein the hooks of the second cable hanger are inserted into the slotsof the first cable hanger.
 17. The cable hanger defined in claim 14 incombination with a second cable hanger having a nominal ¾ hole, with thehooks inserted into the hole of the second cable hanger.
 18. The cablehanger defined in claim 9, wherein the base comprises two halvesinterconnected by a living hinge.
 19. The cable hanger defined in claim18, wherein the gap defined by the arms is divided by projections on thearms into a closed-ended pocket and an open-ended channel.
 20. The cablehanger defined in claim 9, further comprising stops on each of the firstand second arms.
 21. The cable hanger defined in claim 20, wherein abrace extends between the base and each of the stops.
 22. The cablehanger defined in claim 9, wherein at least one post extends into thegap.
 23. The cable hanger defined in claim 22, wherein the at least onepost extends into the gap from the base, the post extending generally inthe same direction as the arms.
 24. The cable hanger defined in claim22, wherein the at least one post is a plurality of posts.
 25. A cablehanger, comprising: a generally flat base; and first and second opposedarms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks arepositioned on free ends of the arms; wherein stops are located on eachof the first and second arms and extend generally perpendicularly to thearms, and wherein a brace extends between the base and each of thestops; and wherein the cable hanger is a unitary component formed of apolymeric material.